In recent years, a larger size, higher image quality, and lower power consumption have been required for flat panel displays, and high image quality organic EL displays capable of being driven at a low voltage have received considerable attention. The organic EL displays have the following structure. For example, in full color active matrix organic EL displays, thin film-like organic EL elements are provided on a substrate having thin film transistors (TFTs) thereon. In the organic EL element, organic EL layers including red (R), green (G), and blue (B) light-emitting layers are stacked between a pair of electrodes, and each light-emitting layer emits light in response to a voltage applied between the electrodes. This light is used to display an image.
In manufacture of such organic EL displays, thin films such as light-emitting layers and electrodes are patterned by using a technique such as a vacuum deposition method, an ink jet method, or a laser transfer method. For example, in low molecular organic EL displays (organic light-emitting diodes (OLED)), the vacuum deposition method is mainly used to pattern the light-emitting layers.
In the vacuum deposition method, a mask having a predetermined opening patterned therethrough is normally fixed to a substrate in close contact therewith, and is placed in a vacuum chamber so that the mask side of the substrate faces a deposition source. Then, a film-forming material is deposited from the deposition source to a desired position on the substrate through the opening of the mask. A thin film such as the light-emitting layers is patterned in this manner. The light-emitting layer of each color is separately deposited color by color (separate deposition). In particular, a mass production process uses a mask (a full contact shadow mask) having the same size as the substrate, and the substrate having the mask in close contact therewith is typically fixed at a predetermined position with respect to the deposition source when performing deposition.
A vacuum deposition method is also known, in which deposition is performed while relatively moving a substrate etc. with respect to a deposition source (Patent Document 1). In Patent Document 1, a mask is used in which a plurality of small holes or long slit holes having a smaller area than an electrode to be formed are formed at predetermined intervals. Deposition is performed while moving the mask in a direction crossing the direction in which the small holes etc. are arranged, whereby the electrode having a predetermined pattern is formed.
Regarding the present invention, a deposition mask is disclosed which is formed by using fibers (Patent Document 2). Specifically, resin single fibers are provided in a stripe pattern in an opening portion of a rectangular frame. Each resin single fiber is formed by a single large-diameter single fiber and two small-diameter single fibers. The two small-diameter single fibers are bonded to the frame at a pitch smaller than the diameter of the large-diameter single fiber. The large-diameter single fiber is placed between the two small-diameter single fibers and bonded to the frame.